Space solves: A fine china cup and a nasty sisal stain

I'm looking for a fine china teacup that's big enough for a decent cuppa. Something like those small antique ones that are so fine they are ­translucent, just in a larger size. It's the bone ash that gives fine bone china its trademark translucency. David Mellor's fine bone collection contains 50% bone ash, so should meet your aesthetic requirements – the plain white teacup holds a ­reasonably generous 210ml (£12). If that's too pricey, Maxwell & Williams 's £6 Cashmere bone china 230ml cup is well-priced. And if you prefer pretty and ­patterned, Roy Kirkham & Co has five ­designs, made from a blend of fine china clays and feldspars to guarantee that ­finish (£52.12 for six, from China Etc , ). We recently acquired some sisal flooring; we also acquired a baby. The result: a whitish yogurt stain on an otherwise pristine carpet. Our cleaning expert, Stephanie Zia, says, "Minor spills can be wiped up immediately with a damp cloth dipped in soapy water and wrung out; more difficult stains such as this need special dry-cleaning treatment. "Avoid applying liquids or ­carpet cleaners direct, as they can do permanent damage. The Natural Flooring Care Kit (£28.75, from ­ alternative flooring.com ) contains a spot remover and a dry carpet cleaner. ­Apply the spot remover with a clean white cloth and blot with absorbent cloth, then apply the dry carpet cleaner with a soft brush. Leave to dry, then ­vacuum. Ideally, you should have had your flooring protected ­before it was laid. The ­Intec ­system (about £3/sq m, from natural flooring suppliers) coats every fibre with a polymer shield, which makes natural flooring resistant to dirt and stains without affecting the colour or the texture." • Got a question for our crack team of domestic experts? Email [email protected]